Apparatus for treating steel rails



Mar 20, 1923. 1,449,272,

' E. F. ENTWISLE ET AL.

APPARATUS FOR TREAT ING STEEL RAILS.

man FEB. 4. 1921. 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

fgazi [nVefa/w W f w Mar. 20, 1923. 1;449,272.

E. F. ENTWISLE ET AL.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING STEEL RAILS.

FILED FEB-4.1921. 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented Mar. 2(3), lZ3

EDWARD I 3.

ASSIGNOBS TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, DYE BETHLEHEIE'L PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS F013- TEEATING STEEL RAILS.

Application filed February 4, 1921.

To 07% Whom it may concern V Vi e. Enwann l ENrwIsLn and FRANK i Hownnns; citizens of the United States, residing at Steelton in the county Dauphin and State 0t Pennsylvania have invented certain new and useful Improvements in :lpparatus tor Treating Steel Rails. ot which he ilollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus tor use in applying the process of treating steel set forth in the patent to Christer Pet-er inndberg. No. 1,118,352, April 4t, 1916. Its purpose and objects and the results produced by it include greater ease and accuracy of operation together with more uniform and more perfect results. It provides auto atic means tor easily and quickly bringing a heated bar of steel such as a track rail into proper alignment and relation to the cooling pipe to receive on its surface the cooling yous discharge together with means for u'ely holding it in a predetermined poon with reference to and distance from i. said pipe and so as to prevent objectionable distortion or binding under the strains 0t action due to cooling, while iermitting a 'u'iited and predetermined upward bendlongitudinally due to the more rapid cooling and contraction of the upper surface than of the lower portion ot the rail. This predetermined and regulated upward benijling is such that when the entire rail is co ed to room temperature the contraction o its lower portion will make itpractically straight. The novel features will be more fully understood from the following description and claims taken with the drawings.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side view of a device embodying the invention partly broken away;

Figure 2 is an end view of the device in idle position;

l 'ure 3 is a view sii'i'iilar to l igure 2 with ting mechanism partly operated; Figure l is an end view of the device in actual operation containing a rail under t "nient;

Serial No. 442,531.

Figure 5 is a detached side view of the discharge pipe for cooling gaseous material having spacing blocks in position thereon;

Figure 6 is adetached side view of a modified form of discharge pipe and its attached spacing blocks; and.

Figure 7 is a cross section on the line 77 of Figure l.

Since the ultimate end or object to be accomplished so far as the structural changes in the body of steel being treated are concerned is the same as that set forth in the Sandberg patent, and the main steps in the process are the same it is not necessary here to discuss the common features in detail. In both cases the steel when at a temperature above what is called the critical temperature is subjected to the cooling action of properly distributed jets of gaseous medium applied to one surface in such Way and under such conditions as to produce a hard and tough or sorbitic structure instead of a hard and brittle or martensitic structure. The conditions and length of treatment vary with the sire and shape of the bar or track rail being treated and the results desired.

l-is shown in the drawings the apparatus embodying the present invention includes a pipe 10 for gaseous material arranged in a substantially horizontal position and having outlets or downwardly directed discharge openings 11 in its lower surface. A series of supply pipes 12 are connected to the discharge pipe 10 and extend upwardly in parallel relation. Secured to these upwardly extending supply pipes 12 are L- shaped angle bears 13 slightly above the pipe 10, with flange projecting downwardly and clamped in place on the supply pipes 12 by means of bolts 14, it. being understood that there is an angle bar on each side of the supply pipe. Another set of similar angle bars 15 are clamped to the pipes 12 at a higher elevation. but parallel to the first mentioned angle bars by means of bolts 16. Guide strips 17 of metal are secured in pairs to the angle bars 13 at their upper ends and extending downwardly parallel close against the sides of the pipe 10. and are held in place by the bolts 18 and 19. These guide strips extend somwhat below the lower surface of the pipe and are bent outwardly at 20 to serve as centerin uides for a bar or rail raised up into position below the pipe. Across the lower surface of the pipe there are at intervals a series of spacing blocks 21 to limit the approach of the rail or bar to the lower surface of the pipe 10. These spacing blocks may be held in place between the pairs of guide members 17 by the bolt mechanism which holds them in place and they may have side flanges tapering inward and corresponding approximately with the angle of the outer bent end 20 of the guide members 17 to help center the rail on those spacing blocksv Where the discharge pipe 10 is straight, as illustrated. in Figure 5, the spacing block at the center has a greater thickness and thus holds the bar or rail at a greater distance from the pipe than the adjacent spacing blocks on either side. From the center block the spacing blocks are progressively of less thickness to the end, making their lower surfaces in ctfect on the arc of a large circle with the center above the center of the pipe 10. The pur pose of this variation in the thickness of the spacing blocks is to permit the bar or rail against the upper surface oi which the cooling gas from the pipe acts to bend slightly in a vertical plane due to the contraction of the upper-surface under the cool.- ing. The difference in'thickness is such as to permit only so much upward bending of the rail as will be compensated for later by the cooling of the material in the rail below the artificially cooled upper surface so that the final result will be when all of the material in the rail comes to a room temperature that the rail will be substantially straight.

It the supply pipe 10 is made on the longitudinal curve in the arc of a circle as illusmade up of a series 0t parallel steel angle bars 23 having spaces between them. There is sufiicient clearance below the tube 10 and its attached parts and above the steel rail support to permit the tree passage of the rail and its dragging equipment.

The "apparatus includes mechanism which when set in operation will automatically engage and lift a hot rail resting on the supporting bars 23 and lift it up into proper position in alignment with the discharge pipe 10 and immediately below it, the operation and centering being assisted by the guide members 17 and the spacing blocks 21. This mechanism includes a series of spaced plates 2 1 in pairs extending transversely of the discharge pipe 10 and secured at their upper and lower ends to the angle bars 25 and 26 which are in turn secured transversely to angle bars 15 and 13. As will be seen by reference to Figure 7 the adjacent pairsof these plates 24 project somewhat on opposite sides of the center plane of the pipe 10 and each plate is provided with a. central vertical slot 27, the two plates of each set being spaced apart sufiiciently to receive between them a clamping arm 28 for lifting the rail, and this clamping arm has lateral projections 29 rotatively and slid-ably fitting'in the slots 27. The arm 28 normally projects laterally from between the plates 24- with its outer hooked or inturned end 30 at a higher level than the lower point of the guide 17 and the part of it on the otherside of the projcctions 29 marked 31is preferably bent downward at an angle and extends beyond the inner margin of the plates 24. This projecting end 31 is pivotally connected to the t biturcated lower end of the vertical rod 32 and that roe is connected at its upper end to a verticallymovable fr me 33. It will be understood that the adjacent clamping arms.

other from opposite sides and pass below i the upper surtli'ace of the hot rail support between the angle bars 23, and that thus the rail lying on the support at any place along the line X of Figure 2 willbe' engaged by those arms when operated and lifted into proper position, the successive actions beingshown in Figures 3 and l. This turning action of the arms 28 is due to the up ward movement of the rods 32carried by the movable frame 33, since the upward strain. on the end 31 of the clamping arm 28 will first cause it to turn .on its pivot in the lower end oil? the slot 27 until the two oppositely disposed. arms engagethe railof: angle bars and mounted to have vertical sliding engagement with the inlet pipes 12 and is raised and lowered by any suitable means through the connectinpg'rods It will of course be understood that the vertically movable lifting bar 83 acts on all the clamping arms at once, each clamping;- arm having its rod connection 32 with the liftin e bar.

It is believed that the ruperation out the device will be fully understood from the above statement of the structure. It is to be noted that no very accurate placing of the hot bar, i. e.. on hot bed to be treated is required. and that the apparatus when set in operation automatically picks it up trom the hot rail support and accuratel brings it into position in line with and a fixed distance below the gas outlets in the pipe 10 against the spacing blocks and holds it there suit ct to the cooling action of the gas until the lifting: bar 38 is lowered thus removing; the rail from the influence ot the gas and allowing it to again rest on the support and be taken away for the final normal Having thus described the invention. what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with pipe for gaseous material under pressure having outlet openings along one side or surface, of means for enraging and holding at spaced points longitudinally a steel bar of substantially uniform cross section in a fixed position with refer ence to and predetermined distance from and along said pipe and in the path of the outlet openings therein, while permitting; to a limited and predetermined degree the bending}; of the bar longitudinally due to contraction of the metal along; the surface adjacent the outlet openings.

:2. In a device of the class described, the combination with. a pipe for gaseous material under pressure having outlet openings properly spaced in its lower side, a frame mounted on and secured to said pipe in cluding guides extending below said pipe and spacing; blocks at intervals on the lower side of the pipe and means carried by said frame and pipe embodying clamping mechanism adapted in operation to extend below said pipe and to engage and hold a bar of steel on opposite sides in fixed position along said pipe against said guides and in proper relation to said spacing stops.

In a device oi the class described the combination with a pipe for gaseous material under pressure having outlet openings properly spaced in its lower side, a frame mounted on and secured to said pipe including guides extending below said pipe and spacing blocks at intervals on the lowei side the pipe and means carried by said frame and pipe embodying clamping mechanism adapted in operation to extend below said pipe and to engage and hold a bar of steel on opposite sides in fixed position along said pipe against said guides and in proper relation to said spacing stops, the surfaces of said stops with which the upper portion of said bar may come in contact beins so positioned to permit a uniform and predetermined upward bending of said bar from its center towards its ends due to contraction of the metal along the upper surface of the bar.

a. In a device of the c ass described. the combination with a pipe for gaseous material under pressure havin outlet openings properly spaced in its lower side. vertically extending" guide members on opposite sides of said pipe intervals extending below the same and having: their lower facing surfaces inclined upwardly and inwardly towards each other, spacing blocks extending across and below said pipe at intervals and secured thereto and means for holdinga heated steel rail between said guides and against said spacing blocks below said pipe.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pipe for gaseous material under pressure having outlet openings properly spaced in its lower side, vertically extending guide members on opposite sides of said pipe at intervals extending below the same and having their lower facing sur faces inclined upwardly and inwardly towards each other, spacing blocks extending across and below said pipe at intervals and secured thereto, the lower surfaces of the spacing blocks being successively on slightly higher levels from the center one to those at the ends and means operable from above said pipe for engaging and holding); a heated steel rail between said guides and in position against said spacingblocks below said pipe.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a discharge pipe forgaseous material supported in a substantial ly horizontal position and having outlet openings along its lower surface, a series of vertical inlet pipes secured thereto at intervals, a frame including horizontal members secured to said inlet pipes above said discharge pipe, guide strips secured to said "frame and extending downwardly in pairs on opposite sides of said discharge pipe and bent outwardly from each other below said pipe and bolted thereto. spacingand guiding blocks secured in place between said guide strips across the lower face of said pipe, and means carried by said frame for gripping and holdinga heated steel rail in position betweensaid guides against said spacinc: blocks below said pipe.

7. in a device of 'the'class described, the combination with pipe for gaseous meterial'under pressure having outlet openings at intervals along its lower side, means for supporting 1t a fixed dlstance above a support for heated steel rails, and means acting I able lifting mechanism carriedby and above said pipe embodying clamping arms with hooked ends projecting laterally of said pipe on opposite sides and adapted to turn inwardly towards each other at their lower ends and to engage a steel rail on said sup port on opposite sides and lift it to a position parallel with and a short distance below said pipe. I

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pipe for gaseous material under pressure having outlet openings properly spaced in its lower side, a frame secured to said pipe, means for supporting said pipe and frame a fixed distance above a horizontal support for heated steel rails leaving sufiicient clearance room below for the movement of the rails and dragging equipment, means along said pipe and extending below it for guiding and positioning a rail a fixed distance below and parallel to'said pipe, and adjustable lifting mechanism carried by said frame embodying pivoted'clamping-arms adapted to extend at their ends down to said support on opposite sides of the plane of said pipe and to move inward towards each other and upward lifting a steel rail from said sup port and holding it in position below said p pe 10. In a device of the classdescribed,the

i combination-with a discharge pipe for gaseous material supported in a substantially horizontal position and having outlet openings along its lower surface, of a fixed frame above said pipe and connected thereto including spaced longitudinal members one abovethe other, and a series oftransversely extending vertical parallel plates arranged inpairs of closely adjacent plates secured to said horlzontal members and havlng corresponding vertical slots, clamplng arms and rotatable and vertically movable therein,la vertically movable operating member a I l i e i I extendmgv along sald frame over said pipe and connections from said operating member to the inner ends of said arms beyond their pivot bearings adapted on upward movement to cause the outer ends of adjacent arms to turn inwardly towards each other below said pipe to engage and clamp a rail and to then rise together towards said pipe, lifting the clamped rail.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination with a discharge pipe for-gaseous material supported in 'a substantially horizontal position and having outlet openings along its lowersurface, of a support for hot steel rails'below the same and leaving clearance room for their movement and the movement of their dragging equipment, and means normally above said clearance room acting automatically when set in operation to reach down and engage any rail lying on said support within a fixed distance on either side of the vertical plane of said pipe and lift it to operative position in line with and immediately below said 12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a discharge pipe for gaseous material supported in a substantially horizontal position and having outlet openings along its lower surface, of a support having openings transversely of the line of i the pipe, adjustable lifting means normally above said pipe, including a series of pivoted clamping arms extending laterally on opposite sides and having facing hooked ends, and adapted to turn downwardly with their lower hooked ends entering said transverse opening and approaching eachother closely, and means for causing said arms to move as stated to engage any steel rail on said support and to then rise, lifting it to a position close below and in. alignment with i said pipe.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination with a bed for heated steel rails, and a device supported above said bed for spraying gaseous material under pressure on the head of a rail, of means for engaging a rail on said bed and lifting it from the bed to a position adjacentvthe spraying device, holding it in such position while being treated, and lowering it again to the bed.

14. In a device of the class described,'tl1e combination with a bed for heated steel rails, and a device supported above the bed for treating a heated rail with fiuid under pressure of mechanism for lifting a heated rail from the bed to said device, holding it in position to be treated, and loweringit' i again to the bed. I

. 15,- In a device of the class-described, the

lac

bers and to be thereby positioned to be treated, and for lowering the rail to the bed after treatment.

In testimony whereof We aiiix our signatures.

EDWARD F. ENTWISLE. FRANK E. HOWELLS. 

